Might I make a recommendation? Google (News - Alert) is launching a new mobile content recommendation service, powered by Google+, which can be added to mobile sites with a single line of code. With it, users can better find content that matches their interests, and companies can better reach potential customers.

When a website adds the recommendation service, mobile users will see recommendations appear as a small widget on the bottom of the screen. The recommendations will not appear immediately, but only when a user has read the post and scrolls back up the page. This ensures that they will receive the recommendations only when they’ve finished reading the article or post in question, so they are not bothered by the recommendations at inopportune times.

The recommendations are based on social recommendations on the site from Google+ friends, as well as the content of the story itself. This considers Search Authorship, all Google+ activity such as +1’s and shares (assuming the user is signed in, naturally), as well as some secret method that Google hasn’t divulged.

Image via The Guardian

Currently, Google’s launch partner for the services is Forbes, but it’s easy enough to add the recommendation service. Publishers can manage the widget from their Google+ publisher accounts, determining where it will and won’t appear, and pages to never recommend.

Will companies take advantage of the mobile recommendations? I believe so, as it’s a great way to expand one’s base of readers, introducing them to new articles and topics of their interest in a non-intrusive way. Like any site with recommendations, it’s easy to get a visitor to keep reading as more and more interesting content gets sent their way, and the customization features from this recommendation service will ensure that it meets the reader’s interests. It should prove an effective way to find and keep mobile viewers.